In today’s landscapes, development policy is mainly directed towards the blacktailed
and bar-tailed godwit. We are of the opinion however that the development
of the landscape should be more inspired by famous works of art. Try not to be
too concerned: if you look closely, godwits are frequently incorporated into these
masterpieces. The Netherlands, as a pioneer in landscape paintings, has had a
long tradition of recording them on canvas, and agricultural landscapes have
always been a key subject. Paintings are therefore a significant source of
information as to how the agricultural landscape looked in former times and are
thus important when considering the cultural historical value of the cultivated
landscape. But the question ‘Is there more?’ still arises. Apart from the historical
register, can these works of art have a more significant meaning for the
Netherlands? In this article we will first investigate the relationship between art
and the Dutch landscape, and will demonstrate that in the past the romanticism
of the disappearing natural landscape was an important source of inspiration. We
will continue by investigating the interaction between art and the economy.
Keywords: Dutch cultural-history, paintings, landscape, land development,
economic interaction.
1 Art and the Dutch landscape
The Netherlands is an outstanding example of a painter’s paradise. Together with
Italy and France it is one of the few countries in the world that has produced at